Hi everyone,
Just wanted to share my experience briefly and thank you all for answering a variety of questions over the last few months.
Got my 3 tiny saddlebacks in May and have really enjoyed watching them grow.
They have been wonderful characters and I am hooked.
My ground has too much clay to over winter pigs so cant wait now for spring!!!
Took the boy at 6 months old, to the abattoir back in September took 10 minutes to load him and all went smoothly apart from going to the Butcher and seeing a pig with more fat than meat!!!! - But on checking we realised it was the wrong pig,
quick call to the abattoir and we retrieved our boy who we were really pleased with,
although never got a deadweight due to the confusion. (Feel sorry for the other person whose pig it was!!!)
Took my last two saddleback girls to the abattoir last week. What a performance it took 2 1/2 hours to load them and we nearly gave up
When we got there the vet had been taken ill and they were awaiting an ambulance!!
Phoned the next morning and the deed had been done - deadweights 73kg and 66kg. Not sure if this is good or not at 7 months old.
That was the worse bit and it seems so quiet now - they used to run up to us as soon as we were around and we do miss them.
Further to all the advice on here we have made some great sausages (this time) , we have bacon curing and everything else in the freezer.
Cant wait to do it all again and in the meantime enjoy the benefits.
Cara